Joseph D. Gould House
The Joseph D. Gould House at 43 Mt. Pleasant Street in North Billerica stands on land that was part of the Toothaker farm, which William Rogers assembled from his purchase of Roger Toothaker's 27 acres in 1782 and his father Samuel Rogers's bequest in 1789 of "the whole of my Toothaker-farm". William Rogers conveyed half of his real estate to his son Calvin Rogers in 1828, and in 1839 the other heirs released the rest of the 170-acre homestead, bounded on the north by the road to the Canal Mills, now Mt. Pleasant Street.
Calvin Rogers kept the east end of the farm. From about 1840 to 1871 the District No. 6 school stood there on "land known as the School House Lot", at the street corner of the five acres he sold to John E. Rowell in 1871; Rowell sold the next lot east to the Baptist Society of North Billerica for its parsonage in 1872. In October 1876 Calvin Rogers sold his son-in-law Joseph D. Gould Jr. "a certain piece of land" for $300, running 180 feet along the street west from the parsonage lot and 233 feet deep. The lot took in the old school ground, and the Mt. Pleasant Schoolhouse may survive in the attached shed.
Joseph D. Gould was born in West Roxbury in 1835, graduated from the Lawrence Scientific School in 1859, and ran the chemical works at North Billerica, later the Talbot Dyewood and Chemical Company, of which he was president. In 1866 he married Elvira Rogers, Calvin's daughter. They built the house between 1876 and 1884. In 1880 Calvin Rogers's widow Ann F. Rogers, using the power of sale in his will, sold Elvira the lot behind it. On July 8, 1884 Gould deeded "a certain parcel of land with the buildings thereon" to Charles H. Kohlrausch, who conveyed it to Elvira R. Gould the same day, so that the house stood in her name.
Joseph D. Gould died on October 27, 1903. Elvira R. Gould lived on in the house as a widow; in 1926 she sold the neighbouring Calvin Rogers House under the will of her sister Harriet B. Rogers. She died in the house on June 21, 1930, aged 100, and her estate gave books, pictures and a cast of the Head of Apollo to the town library. Her will left the residue to charities, and in 1934 the New England Home for Little Wanderers, the Children's Mission to Children, the Industrial School for Crippled and Deformed Children and the Northfield Schools sold the property, Lots 2 and 3 of 72,508 square feet "with the buildings thereon", to Miles J. and Anna M. Finnegan.
After Miles J. Finnegan's death his executor sold the house in 1974 to private owners. It changed hands privately again in 2002 and 2005, and remains a single-family home on about 1.66 acres. The Billerica Historical Commission recorded it in 1981 as a Greek Revival side-door house with a large ell, a small barn and a shed.
References
- MACRIS BIL.290
- Hazen, History of Billerica (1883), Genealogical Register, GOULD 4: Joseph Dudley Gould, b. West Roxbury 1835, Lawrence Scientific School 1859, in charge of the Chemical Works at North Billerica, m. 1866 Elvira Rogers, dau. of Calvin
- Billerica town report 1904, Deaths in 1903: Joseph D. Gould, Oct. 27, 1903, aged 68 years 8 months 8 days
- Billerica town report 1930: death of Elvira R. Gould, June 21, 1930, aged 100 years 2 months; library gifts from the estate of the late Mrs. Elvira R. Gould
Title References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Recorded |
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| July 19, 1771 | Common Recovery | Thomas Rogers (demandant) | Mary Toothaker, widow, and Roger Toothaker, physician (tenants) | Toothaker homestead recovered 1771; the land later the Rogers farm | 72/64 (South) |
Indenture of Feb. 26, 1771 to suffer a common recovery, reciting that Roger Toothaker "is seized of the Messuage Lands & Tenements herein after described in Tail male," namely "a Tract of Land in Billerica ... containing about ninety seven acres with a Dwelling house & barn thereon," bounded westerly and northerly on the County Road, easterly partly on the road and partly on Joseph Ruggles and William Kidder, southerly partly on Daniel Shed and partly on land of the said Roger "formerly belonging to the heirs of Thomas Danforth"; also three acres on the west side of the County Road by Joseph Ruggles and the mill pond, Sauce Meadow (7 acres) in Tewksbury and eight acres of Hamlet's Meadow. After the recovery the part set off to Mary as dower in her late husband Roger Toothaker's estate was to be hers for life, and the rest Roger's in fee simple. The judgment of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas at Charlestown, March 12, 1771, is recorded as an exemplification at Book 72 Page 66. The Toothaker homestead descended from Roger Toothaker, the settler; the generations between have not been traced. Billerica town book 6, pages 468-475.
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| March 17, 1783 | Deed | Roger Toothaker, yeoman, and Mary Toothaker | William Rogers, husbandman | Roger Toothaker to William Rogers, the Toothaker farm | 84/626 (South) |
For 200 pounds, two tracts in Billerica: the first beginning at the southwest corner at stake and stones, northerly as the road goes, easterly by the road and the heirs of Capt. William Stickney, by Samuel Rogers, southerly by the Stickney heirs to a ditch, northerly along the ditch, westerly and southeasterly to a pine tree and westerly to the first bound, "containing twenty seven acres ... with a Dwelling house & Barn standing thereon"; the second, three acres beginning at the southeast corner, northerly by the highway to a stone, westerly by Joseph Ruggles "to the mill pond," southerly by the pond to Jonathan Pollard and easterly by Pollard to the first bound. Mary Toothaker quits her right. Signed April 8, 1782, "in the sixth year of the Independency," before Robert Harris and David Morrill Jr.; acknowledged March 14, 1783. William Rogers was 23. Billerica town book 7, pages 399-400.
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| October 14, 1789 | Will | Samuel Rogers of Billerica, yeoman | His son William Rogers (and son Thomas) | Samuel Rogers devises the rest of the Toothaker farm to his son William | Probate #19484 |
Will dated March 25, 1789, signed by his mark, witnessed by Zebadiah Rogers, Joshua Abbot and Edward Farmer; presented by the executors William and Thomas Rogers and proved October 14, 1789 (Oliver Prescott, judge). "I bequeath to my son, William, the whole of my Toothaker-farm, in Billerica; also the first lot of my Parker-land in Chelmsford, and a lot in Tewksbury, called the Doctor-lot," with a third of his New Ipswich pasture, on condition that William deed the Washington, N.H., farm to his brother Ezra; the home farm went to son Thomas. With his own 1782 purchase, this made William Rogers owner of the Toothaker farm on the south side of the road to Tewksbury (Mt. Pleasant Street), where the town in 1791 voted to set the north ward school-house "in William Rogers' corner by John Rogers".
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| February 3, 1832 | Deed | William Rogers of Billerica, gentleman (wife Hannah releasing dower) | His son Calvin Rogers of Billerica, yeoman | William Rogers to his son Calvin, undivided half of the farm | 311/33 (South) |
Billerica town book 16, pages 24-25 (also copied in the Lowell, Chelmsford and Tewksbury books). For $1,200, "one undivided half of all my real estate situated in the Towns of Billerica, Tewksbury and Chelmsford ... & in New Ipswich, in the County of Hillsborough" in New Hampshire. Signed and acknowledged May 15, 1828 before Francis Faulkner, Calvin's father-in-law; recorded February 3, 1832. Calvin Rogers thus held half the farm, schoolhouse lot included, while the first District No. 6 schoolhouse stood in the middle of the road frontage.
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| June 23, 1855 | Quitclaim | Heirs of William Rogers: Jeremiah Rogers, Hannah Roundy, Rebecca F. Barton, Susan Rogers, Harriet Burbank, Louisa and Augustus Rogers, with spouses, and the widow Hannah Rogers | Calvin Rogers of Billerica, yeoman | heirs of William Rogers to Calvin Rogers, the other half of the 170-acre homestead | 715/72 (South) |
Billerica town book 20, pages 596-599. Grantors: Jeremiah Rogers of Andover (wife Abigail C.), Charles and Hannah Roundy of Salem, Jabez W. and Rebecca F. Barton of Boston, Oliver C. and Susan Rogers of Woburn, Samuel and Harriet Burbank of Lowell, Louisa Rogers, Augustus Rogers and the widow Hannah Rogers of Billerica. For $4,000, all the real estate of which "William Rogers late of said Billerica Yeoman, deceased, died, seized and possessed," his undivided half of: "The Homestead of said deceased situate in said Billerica, containing one hundred and seventy acres more or less, with all the buildings thereon standing, bounded Westerly by the mill pond ... and the road across the Plain to the road leading from Billerica to Tewksbury, Northeasterly by said Tewksbury Road and land of Joseph Johnson, called the 'Ruggles' Place' to the northeasterly corner near the house of John Rogers, Northerly by said road leading from said corner to the 'Canal Mills'" and land of Francis Faulkner to the mill pond; with wood lots in Chelmsford and Tewksbury, the seven-acre "Mount John" swamp, Broad Meadow and 80 acres in New Ipswich. Signed January 31, 1839, recorded June 23, 1855. The road from John Rogers's corner to the Canal Mills, now Mt. Pleasant Street, was the north line of the farm, and both school sites lay on it. William Rogers left no probate; his heirs settled the estate by this deed.
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| July 8, 1872 | Deed | Calvin Rogers of Billerica (wife Ann F. releasing dower and homestead) | John E. Rowell of Billerica | abutting five acres; names the School House Lot, later taken into this lot | 87/420 |
For $1,050, "a certain tract of land situate in that part of Billerica called North Billerica containing five acres more or less": "Beginning at the Northwest corner at the road leading from North Billerica to Geo. P. Elliott's House, at land known as the School House Lot", easterly by that road to the road to Billerica Centre (High Street), southerly on it to Bernard Kearney, westerly to a cross wall at other land of Rogers, "thence Northerly by said wall and land of said Rogers and land known as said School House Lot to the corner first mentioned". Signed November 23, 1871, witnessed by Thomas Talbot, recorded July 8, 1872. The first record to name the District No. 6 "School House Lot", which was not part of the sale and lay just west of its northwest corner on Mt. Pleasant Street.
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| January 31, 1873 | Deed | John E. Rowell of Billerica (wife Marietta F. releasing dower and homestead) | The Baptist Society of North Billerica | Baptist parsonage lot, the east abutter, beginning at the School house lot | 91/206 |
For $300, "Beginning at the North west corner of the lot on the road leading from North Billerica to George P. Elliott's house at land known as the School house lot", easterly on the road six rods, southerly on Rowell ten rods, westerly six rods, "thence Northerly ten rods on land of Calvin Rogers to the School house lot and point of beginning"; part of the five acres from Calvin Rogers (Book 87, Page 420). Signed and acknowledged November 1, 1872, recorded January 31, 1873. The Baptist parsonage lot, 47 Mt. Pleasant Street, built on at once (the 1873 mortgage names "a dwelling house thereon"); its northwest corner touched the school house lot, which lay west of it on the street.
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| October 21, 1876 | Deed | Calvin Rogers of Billerica (wife Ann F. releasing dower and homestead) | Joseph D. Gould Jr. | Calvin Rogers to Joseph D. Gould Jr., the house lot, 180 ft on the street | 120/427 |
For $300, a lot beginning at a point on the street "adjoining land of Baptist Society now occupied for Parsonage", westerly on the street 180 feet, southerly 233 feet to land of Rogers, easterly 168 feet to John E. Rowell, northerly by Rowell 65 feet "to Baptist Parsonage lot aforesaid" and by the parsonage 165 feet to the beginning. Signed October 17, 1876, witnessed by Isabella W. Talbot, acknowledged before Thomas Talbot, recorded October 21, 1876. The frontage west of the parsonage, where the School House Lot had been, now ran unbroken from the parsonage; no school lot is reserved. Gould, manager of the Talbot chemical works, had married Calvin's daughter Elvira in 1866 and built the house now 43 Mt. Pleasant Street, whose attached shed local tradition says "may have been part of school".
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| October 8, 1880 | Executrix's Deed | Ann F. Rogers of Billerica, under the power of sale in the will of Calvin Rogers, with Harriet B. Rogers | Elvira R. Gould, wife of Joseph D. Gould | Calvin Rogers estate to Elvira R. Gould, the rear lot | 142/73 |
For $100, "The lot situated in the rear of the estate now owned and occupied by said Joseph D. Gould", bounded northwesterly by Gould 148 feet, northeasterly by John E. Rowell and Owen Sheldon, southeasterly by B. Kearney and southwesterly by other land of the Calvin Rogers estate on the line of Gould's southwest side. Signed July 8, 1880, acknowledged October 6, 1880 before Chas. H. Kohlrausch, recorded October 8, 1880. Calvin Rogers died testate in the 1870s; his will is beyond the 1648-1871 probate file papers.
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| December 30, 1884 | Quitclaim | Joseph D. Gould of Billerica (wife Elvira R. releasing dower and homestead) | Charles H. Kohlrausch of Billerica | Joseph D. Gould to Charles H. Kohlrausch "with the buildings thereon" (straw) | 171/240 |
For $3,000, "a certain parcel of land with the buildings thereon": beginning on the street "by land of the Baptist Society, now used as a parsonage", westerly 180 feet "to land of the estate of Calvin Rogers", southerly 223 feet to the land "this day conveyed by Ann F. Rogers & al. to Elvira R. Gould", easterly 148 feet to Rowell, and back by Rowell and the parsonage lot; "being the same estate conveyed to me by Calvin Rogers by deed dated Oct. 17, 1876 ... lib. 120, fol. 427". Signed July 8, 1884, acknowledged December 18, 1884 before Dudley Foster, recorded December 30, 1884. A C. H. Kohlrausch paid the town $10 for an "old school house shed" in 1887.
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| December 30, 1884 | Quitclaim | Charles H. Kohlrausch of Billerica, unmarried | Elvira R. Gould, wife of Joseph D. Gould | Kohlrausch to Elvira R. Gould: the house in her name | 171/241 |
For $3,000, the same parcel "with the buildings thereon", same bounds, "being the same estate conveyed to me by Joseph D. Gould by deed of even date herewith". Signed July 8, 1884, acknowledged December 18, 1884, recorded December 30, 1884: a straw conveyance putting the Gould house in Elvira R. Gould's name. She lived there for the rest of her long life and owned it until her death; her residuary legatees sold it in 1934.
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| December 17, 1926 | Quitclaim Deed | Elvira R. Gould of Billerica, widow, in her own right and under the will of her sister Harriet B. Rogers | Robert G. Damon and Mary L. Damon, husband and wife, of Billerica | Elvira R. Gould, widow, sells the Calvin Rogers homestead next door | 744/569 |
Dated Dec. 15, 1926. "The land in part of said Billerica known as North Billerica, with the buildings thereon, situated on the Southeasterly side of Mount Pleasant Street, containing three and 87/100 acres", shown on the Brooks, Jordan and Graves plan of the "Estate of Harriet B. Rogers and ... Elvira R. Gould" (Plan Book 49 Plan 82): southeast 486.90 feet by land formerly of Isabella W. Talbot, northeast 337.19 feet by Bernard W. Kearney, northwest 502.84 feet by other land of the estate, and 344.75 feet on the street, "being a portion of the real estate of which my father, Calvin Rogers ... testate, died seised".
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| 1932 | Quitclaim Deed (devisees) | Caroline Yale of Northampton and The Clarke School for the Deaf, residuary devisees under the will of Harriet B. Rogers | Robert G. Damon and Mary L. Damon, husband and wife, of Billerica | abutting Rogers land; bounds on the Gould land and the heirs or devisees of Elvira R. Gould | 815/337 |
Dated June 9, 1932. Nine-tenths of an acre on the southeast side of Mount Pleasant Street, 81.50 feet on the street, between the Damons' 1926 purchase (Book 744 Page 569; Plan Book 49 Plan 82) and the Gould land of 1876 and 1880: "all the land of which the said Harriet B. Rogers died seized" there. It was "a portion of the land of which Calvin Rogers died seized", which under his will "vested at the death of his widow in said Harriet B. Rogers as his only daughter then living unmarried". Her will was allowed Jan. 14, 1920 (Middlesex Probate 124810).
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| June 17, 1935 | Quitclaim | The New England Home for Little Wanderers, the Children's Mission to Children, the Industrial School for Crippled and Deformed Children (Boston) and the Northfield Schools, residuary legatees of Elvira R. Gould | Miles J. Finnegan and Anna M. Finnegan of Billerica | Elvira R. Gould's residuary legatees to Miles J. and Anna M. Finnegan | 863/490 |
Quitclaim of "the land with the buildings thereon situated on the southeasterly side of Mount Pleasant Street", 72,508 square feet, Lots 2 and 3 on the "Plan of Land in North Billerica, Mass. belonging to Estate of Harriet B. Rogers and to Elvira R. Gould" (Brooks, Jordan and Graves, October 1926 and May 27, 1932): from the north corner on the street "at land formerly of the Baptist Society", southwest on the street 180 feet to land formerly of Harriet B. Rogers, deceased, and back by Rogers, Kearney, Conway, land formerly of John E. Rowell and the Mead land; title from the 1880 and 1884 deeds to Elvira R. Gould, "late of said Billerica, deceased", devised under her will. Dated November 10, 1934, recorded June 17, 1935. The Finnegans owned it until Miles J. Finnegan's death; his executor sold it under license in 1974 (Book 2136, Page 196) to private owners, and it was resold privately in 2002 and 2005 (Book 12929, Page 217; Book 19401, Page 94), always by the same description. Elvira R. Gould died in the house on June 21, 1930, aged 100 (Billerica town report 1930); her husband Joseph D. Gould had died Oct. 27, 1903.
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| December 23, 1974 | Executor's Deed | Mark E. Finnegan, executor under the will of Miles J. Finnegan | Private owners | Finnegan's executor to private owners | 2136/196 |
Under license, for $41,500, Lots 2 and 3 on the 1926/1932 Brooks, Jordan and Graves plan of the Harriet B. Rogers and Elvira R. Gould estates, 72,508 square feet on the southeasterly side of Mount Pleasant Street "with the buildings thereon", from the north corner "at land formerly of the Baptist Society" southwest on the street 180 feet; "Being the same premises conveyed to the late Miles J. Finnegan, et ux" in 1934 (Book 863, Page 490). Dated December 1974. The house lot that includes the former District No. 6 School House Lot passed to private owners, who resold it in 2002 and 2005.
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Recorded is Book/Page at the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds unless noted; Probate # is a Middlesex probate case, Ctf a Land Court certificate of title.